


They Only Appear Once

by halfpastmonsoon



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, Angel Wings, Angels, Dialogue Heavy, Guardian Angels, M/M, Prison, Reality Bending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 05:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19000075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfpastmonsoon/pseuds/halfpastmonsoon
Summary: 'You're still being awfully rude,' the man's voice continued in an offended tone. 'You know, I can go away if you really want me to, but you won't get another chance, so I would reconsider if I were you.''A chance at what?' Hoshi asked bitterly. He still hadn't opened his eyes.'Well, many things. For one, you haven't talked to anyone in ages, and the bars can't stop me! But, more importantly,' he continued in a serious voice, 'I'm your guardian angel. And angels only appear once...'





	They Only Appear Once

Hoshi Ryouma's sighs echoed through his cell. He was sitting on the floor, hugging his knees.

It was cold, and it was dark.

He's been in this cell for what seemed like an eternity. Days passed around him, but the passage of time stopped affecting him in any meaningful way. His only connection with reality were the meals he was given every now and then – probably at set times of the day, but he couldn't tell. If they fed him once a day or once an hour, he wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Half the time, he refused to eat, anyway.

He didn't deserve food. That he was certain of.

The memory of his crime had partially faded by that time. All he was left with were impressions and flashes – he remembered blood, and screams, and pain. He remembered rage, and the overwhelming air of malice. Everything else, the act itself – he couldn't remember. 

Was whatever he did justified? In the moment, he probably thought it was. Such righteous anger always comes from the feeling that you were wronged and deserve your revenge, after all. Or maybe, maybe he didn't think he was right, and simply didn't care already.

Another sigh echoed through his cell. He shivered. Suddenly, he felt a presence inside. Was he hallucinating? He looked up from the floor.

'Wow, you finally decided to look at me! You've been very rude, y'know?'

Hoshi blinked. There was definitely someone sitting on his bed. He could have sworn that he could see through the person which obviously made no sense...

'Great. I'm just seeing things now,' he muttered, shaking his head.

The person sitting on the bed leaned towards him, puffing out their cheeks. They were rather androgynous, but if he he had to guess, he'd say it was a man perhaps slightly younger than him. He was short and had dark, shoulder length hair, messy and unkempt. His clothes were also rather worn and barely held together.

'Maybe you wouldn't be seeing things if you ate properly,' the man pointed out. 'But also, I'm totally real, so you should probably be seeing me!'

'I've gone so insane from loneliness that I have imaginary friends scolding me now,' Hoshi whispered, closing his eyes. 'I don't want to see you once I open my eyes again, understood? I don't want to have to deal with this.'

'You're still being awfully rude,' the man's voice continued in an offended tone. 'You know, I can go away if you really want me to, but you won't get another chance, so I would reconsider if I were you.'

'A chance at what?' Hoshi asked bitterly. He still hadn't opened his eyes.

'Well, many things. For one, you haven't talked to anyone in ages, and the bars can't stop me! But, more importantly,' he continued in a serious voice, 'I'm your guardian angel. And angels only appear once...'

Hoshi's eyes shot open in surprise.

'My guardian angel? I doubt I have one of those. Otherwise I wouldn't have ended up here.'

'At least that got you listening! But, anyway, it's true. I might have failed back there, but that's 'cause you weren't listening, dummy! Plus,' he added with a grin, 'I like gory scenes, y'know. Pretty entertaining.'

'Are you sure you're an angel?' Hoshi asked, raising one eyebrow. He was starting to accept that maybe this wasn't a hallucination. Maybe a new guard decided to mess with him.

'Oh, totally. It's not like that means I'm innocent, if that's what you're thinking. We fight quite a lot. But, if you don't believe me...' He paused, closing his eyes. A pair of wings sprang out from his back. They were also semi-transparent...was that also an illusion?

'Wings, huh,' Hoshi said under his breath.

The man turned around to show that the wings really were coming out of his back. His shirt was torn to accomodate them.

'Neat, huh? This is not my permanent form, but I thought you'd enjoy a handsome twink visiting you,' he said with a grin, turning back towards him.

'What would possibly-'

'I know you pretty well. Hoshi Ryouma-chan,' he said softly. 'Not that I'm creepy about it, but y'know, I have to know you well, as a guardian angel.'

'I don't have the energy to question that. Just...tell me why you're here. I'm not really in the mood for smalltalk with someone who claims to be an angel,' he said weakly, closing his eyes again.

'I thought you could use some company,' the man said innocently. 'Besides, I have an offer for you.'

'And what might that be?' Hoshi asked, looking up at him.

'I could get you out of here,' he said, playing with his hair.

'I don't want to get out,' Hoshi protested. 'At least, I don't deserve to get out. And I have nothing to come back to. This offer is useless to me,' he said in a hollow voice.

'Not so quick!' the man interjected, leaning forward. 'You do want to get out. You just have some freaky guilt complex. And you think you have nothing to live for, really? Hoshi-chan, you're barely twenty! You can turn it around fifteen times if you wanna! It's just a pain in the ass, isn't it?'

'That it is. How would you know, though? You're not human,' Hoshi remarked bitterly. 

'Nope, but I've been watching you and some other people. I'm a pretty knowledgeable being, y'know?' the man said, stretching his wings.

'If you've been watching me, then you know what I did. You should also know that it's unforgiveable.'

'Duh. I lied earlier. I don't enjoy watching people die. And I don't condone murder. It's one of the worst things one can do,' he said with a shrug. For the first time, his expression dropped.

'I wasn't aware angels could lie,' Hoshi pointed out. 'How am I supposed to believe anything you say, then?'

'That's up to you. But, y'know, despite not condoning murder, I'm willing to get you out of here, so that's something, no?'

'What's in it for you? And how are you even going to achieve that?' Hoshi asked suspiciously.

'That's my sweet secret,' the angel said, putting a finger up to his lips. 'All you need to know is that I'm capable. As for what's in it for me...nothing, really. I just won't have to watch you turn into a miserable vegetable until you die. And, y'know, Hoshi-chan, I'm quite fond of you.'

'Whatever did I do to attract the attention of a supernatural being? I don't see it.'

'You're super interesting, is all! I've never seen anyone repent so thoroughly before. And you were the one who was wronged first. I just figured you've done enough to be released. You'll be of more use outside, feeding homeless cats, doing stuff you love...you're wasting away here.'

'You really think this is enough? I don't see myself being that valuable...'

'Trust me on that! I know for sure. I'm an expert on that stuff,' the angel assured, puffing out his chest.

Hoshi pondered quietly for a while. 'And you're not going to come a second time?' he asked.

'Nope. An angel can only appear once. I wasn't sure if I should use that card already, which is why it took me so long to arrive. Oopsie!'

'So if I don't take this opportunity, it's gone, and I will never see you again?'

'Yup. You might even forget you ever met me. Sucks, huh?' the angel said, examining his fingernails.

Hoshi rubbed his temples. He had to make a decision.

'If I accept your offer, I will also never see you again, right? Will I remember you?'

The angel smirked, avoiding eye contact. 'Maybe, maybe. You will never meet your guardian angel again, but you will know that I'm watching over you. If you reject the offer, I might not be able to help at all anymore, but if you accept, I'll stay with you.'

Hoshi sighed deeply. 'I see,' he said.

'You know, our situation now is kinda lame. I can't even touch you or anything. So I guess you're not losing much,' the angel continued, still looking away. 'So, which is it? Your call, you know!'

Hoshi slowly got up from the floor. All his joints cracked, as if to scold him for making them work after so long. He groaned, trying to stretch his limbs. He was in quite a lot of pain, but it almost felt good.

He then looked straight at the angel, who looked back at him in anticipation.

'I don't believe in myself,' Hoshi stated, shooving his hands in his pockets. 'I'm not sure how much I could make of the future I might have outside. But you seem to believe in me, and you know your stuff.' He smiled faintly. 'So, I might as well trust your judgement. I want to go outside and see what I can do out there. If it ends up sucking, I will find you and file a complaint, though.'

The angel giggled into his hand. His eyes were sparkling.

'Then shake on it!' he insisted, extending his hand towards Hoshi. His wings fluttered happily.

'I thought I can't touch you,' Hoshi pointed out.

'C'mon, it has to be proper!' he begged, looking up with teary eyes.

Hoshi chuckled, shaking his head. He extended his hand until it was 'touching' the angel's.

And then, everything went white, and Hoshi Ryouma lost consciousness.

***

Hoshi Ryouma was shaken awake by the sound of his call being unlocked. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep for. All he remembered was his dream. The one where he met an angel, his own guardian angel, in the form of an attractive young man.

That had to be a dream, and yet.

'You're out,' the guard's voice informed him, gesturing outside.

'What?' Hoshi asked, blinking in confusion.

'Someone bailed you out,' the guard explained impatienntly.

'Huh?' Hoshi got up and walked towards the guard. 'I don't know anyone who would do that.'

'Well, someone did. Just go already,' the guard said, pushing him out.

Hoshi walked down the hall, followed by the guard. He was so very confused. Was it not...a dream?

Someone was waiting in a room at the end of the hall, where the exit seemed to be, standing in a shadow. Was that the person who bailed him out? Who could possibly care enough about him to do that?

The guard shoven him into the room and closed the door behind him. Hoshi was now almost free...and with the person he owed his freedom to.

They turned towards him.

A wide smile. Messy, dark shoulder-length hair with purple tips. Purple catlike eyes, watching him curiously. Torn clothes, barely held together.

Hoshi smirked. He could almost see the wings.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about this for ages. Vaguely inspired by, oddly, Going Postal. If you know it, you know why.


End file.
